Aftereffect
by Anh D-ao
Summary: She started the game, he'll be the one to finish it. When making deals with the devil you never do get what you bargained for. [ItaSaku]
1. Proditor

**After-effect**

**Chapter 1: Proditor**

_(Betrayer)_

"Give us a name," the gentle prodding was unlike her former master. Tsunade had a tendency to be far more rash than logical. Sheer strength and instinct had perhaps been the only things to keep her alive all these years, those and a steady sense of self-preservation.

She sat half leaning out of her chair, hands hovering over the young woman's lap hesitantly as if afraid to touch the woman she had created.

"If you just tell us where, we can help you as long as you help us."

A harsh laugh escaped the young woman's lips, the sound touching something deep inside each of them.

"Help me? Please, what can you possibly do? We both know that you can't trust me anymore," she leant back in her seat, avoiding the motherly hands hovering above her, "All you can offer me is a cage Tsunade. And I'd rather be dead than caged."

When she was younger she'd never imagined that she could say something so callous. In fact if it had been even a year earlier she would have done everything she could not to end up where she was. Now, she didn't have anything left to care about.

Tsunade drew herself upwards, breasts shuddering with each long shaking breath. Her eyes were fixed on Sakura and they were now very cold.

"Very well then, we'll do it your way. Haruno Sakura, you are formally charged with conspiracy against your village, desertion, and disclosure of classified information, terrorism and attempted murder. Until a decision about your future has been reached you will be held in the maximum security prison and classified as a threat to Konoha."

The young woman sat there and absorbed it all, keeping the mask over her emotions firmly in place. It had served her well for the last few months after all.

"Do you have anything left to say?"

* * *

It had taken her almost a week since their penetration to catch up to them. In the wake of the confusion of the attack she had slipped away, a single satchel strapped to her back.

It had taken ANBU only a day to realise that she was gone. It was a factor she had prepared for, after all as the student of the Hokage she was fairly visible to the public eye, it wouldn't have taken them long to figure it out. They had caught up to her by the evening of the second day and it took only twenty minutes to beat the six ninjas. She was fortunate that none of them had been people that she had known.

The delay, however meagre, had lost her their trail and she had spent the next two days bypassing numerous dead ends to find it again. Coupled with the loss of some of her chakra due to the fight she had been forced to slow her pace in order to make sure that if another battle was required she was fit to meet the challenge. A small gash where one had gotten lucky sat on her upper left arm stung but she knew better than to deplete her chakra further by healing it.

If their current pace was any indication, they didn't know that she was following them. She knew better than to think that. It was more likely that they had noticed her the second she had left Konoha. It would be unlike them to change their positions just because of her. They were Akatsuki after all, and they feared no one.

The forest was fairly thick but the trails were becoming more distinct, almost an offer for her to find them. Pushing herself off of a branch she searched the trees for any sign of an ambush from ANBU soldiers or from any of their current allies.

A change in the air and ebb of chakra let her know that they had stopped. It seemed that they were waiting for her, possibly because they were intrigued, possibly because they were sick of being followed, either way she pushed that little bit harder to catch up to them.

The clearing they had stopped in was fairly isolated, there were no towns for hundreds of miles the way she had come and she was willing to bet that there were none ahead of them for a while. Had she thought attention might bother them she would assume that it was so that nobody would hear her scream. But then she doubted she would get even that if it came to a fight between them.

One stood, sword extended and making graceful sweeps through the air. Sweat lightly brushed his forehead and his breathing had sped up a little. It wasn't due to the exertion, she could see that much. He was excited. The bindings on the sword were still on, but she was aware that Samehada could cause damage even as it was.

The other sat casually against a rock, one leg bent with his arm resting against it while the other hung down just brushing against the ground. His face was hidden by the large hat but she already knew what she would see if it were removed.

She dropped from the branch she was poised on directly in front of them. The grinning shark man turned and in an instant the sword was at her throat. A smirk settled upon his face and he drawled casually, "Told you we could catch kunoichi if we stopped."

It took everything she had not to flinch. This is what she had been training for but facing it in real circumstances and in the simulated version in her mind were two very different things.

He moved the wrapped blade forward to touch her throat and she pulled away from him, leaving a gap between her and the sword.

"Afraid kunoichi?" Kisame mocked, hoisting the sword on his shoulder.

She offered him the barest trace of a smile, "Not at all. But I prefer to keep my chakra."

He offered her a feral grin in return before launching at her with the sword. Anticipating it she dodged and pulled out a kunai in time to stop his second blow. He pushed harder against her, trying to force her back with sheer strength and she released her own and dropped to the ground to swipe at his legs with her foot. He was faster than she had expected though, stepping out of the way just enough that the blow narrowly missed him. In turn he swung the sword to the ground she had been kneeling on moments before and then again to her face. Blocking it again with her kunai she used her own strength rather than enhancing it with chakra. It wouldn't be smart to lay all her cards out on the table at the beginning.

"So why'd you come kunoichi?" Kisame queried, whipping the sword around to catch the back of her knees. Flipping back over it she flung the kunai at his throat.

"I have a proposition for you." They had stopped several paces apart, watching each other, assessing their individual weaknesses. Unfortunately for her it didn't appear that Kisame had any.

"You didn't find Naruto there did you."

The sword crossed over her head as she ducked.

"It's only a matter of time." The fist he threw hit her hard in the shoulder, sending her back into the tree with a force she hadn't expected. He smiled at her, "If you keep holding back, kunoichi, you're going to get yourself killed."

"If you thought that you wouldn't have kept me alive this long," she responded, picking herself up and facing him again. "I was there when Tsunade crafted his hiding place."

"Kisame."

At the sound of his voice the shark drew away, placing Samehada back in its holster on his back.

"Your proposition?" the Uchiha questioned, his voice smooth and muted.

"You want the kyuubi, I can give him to you."

The head tilted up until she could just see the shadow of his face between the edge of the cloth and the rim of the hat. The sharingan flashed dangerously and she found herself entranced by them.

"The price?"

She started at the sound of his voice and it seemed to amuse him. A familiar smirk touched the edge of his mouth, one she could just barely see under the rim of the hat.

"I want entry into the Akatsuki."

She could see Kisame find this statement amusing. Had she been in his position she would probably find the notion amusing also. As it was she held her ground, waiting on the Uchiha for an answer. He stood up, walking the few steps across the clearing to stand in front of her. Glancing down at her appraisingly.

"Do you really believe that you can betray Naruto-kun?" he asked, indifference lacing his voice.

Steeling her features into nonchalance she shrugged, "Believe what you want, the offer remains."

As he stepped closer, her mind was screaming at her _thin ice, thin ice. _Through the slit she could see the red of his eyes and the black of the three tomoe settled in them. They swept up and down her body fleetingly, appraising her before he stepped back.

"It is not a decision that can be made solely by us," he said quietly.

She nodded, she had expected that. Kisame's snort of disbelief in the background made her tense momentarily. The Uchiha turned to glance at him.

"You're welcome to voice your opinions Kisame."

She knew already that Kisame would obey the Uchiha's every wish, however she hadn't known why. It was impossible to judge but she could have sworn that for a second Kisame had shown fear at the Uchiha's offer. With one last sneer the shark man turned away, picking up his own overlarge straw hat, the bells jingling lightly on it as he did. Making sure he had secured Samehada to his back he looked back at them, waiting.

The Uchiha turned back to her, eyes focusing on her face even as she forced herself to meet his gaze. "Wait here kunoichi, regardless of whether the deal is made or not, we will be back here in a couple of hours."

There was a threat left open in that statement.

She nodded watching their backs as both turned around and left through the forest. She entertained the thought of following them in her head for a moment but she dismissed it easily. It was already far too late in the game to be compromising anything at this point. She knew that they wouldn't hesitate to kill if she did anyway.

Settling on the ground she pulled off her pack and put it in front of her. She hadn't stopped for a week, now seemed like the perfect time to take a rest and eat something.

* * *

She had drifted into a light sleep by the time anyone had come back, snapping out of it the instant she felt Kisame above her and dodging the drive of the sword, watching in an almost sick fascination as it plummeted through the ground easily.

He laughed, "Well, well, well kunoichi, so you're still here," re-sheathing Samehada he directed his attention back to her, "You're either brave or stupid."

She didn't answer. She was tired and emotions were too close to the surface after sleep, it was something that she hadn't yet mastered. Disciplining herself she stood again and sent him a dark look, swinging her pack over her shoulders as he stood there silently appraising her as if he'd like to see how quickly she'd die had that blow struck her.

"The verdict?" it came as a relief that her voice came out as steady and dismissive as she had.

He grunted, "The decision was made. If you come through with the kyuubi then you will be instigated into the Akatsuki."

Suppressing the sigh of relief she glanced around. The Uchiha was nowhere to be seen in the clearing. As if noticing her lack of attention Kisame released a rather noisy sigh.

"Itachi had other business to attend to, he left me to take care of you," he bared his teeth in a distorted semblance of a grin, "Careful kunoichi, I might get careless and hit you while I'm training instead of the target."

She was sure it would be entirely accidental as well. He turned north where before they had been heading west and began to walk slowly in that direction.

"Keep up kunoichi, if you get lost I'm not coming back to find you."

He was gone before she could focus and she finally released the sigh she had been holding. Pushing up her own pace to match his she sprinted after him, staying just out of the range of his sword as she did. A bark of laughter at her hesitance almost made her change her mind, but survival overrode the need to show him that she could take him on, because she wasn't sure how strong he was compared to her and she didn't know how the Akatsuki might take it if she accidentally killed one of their members. Due to the nature of most of the members of that group they would probably like that development.

Keeping the pace became the only thing she was concerned about, because the damn shark kept picking it up when she began to get comfortable with it. He was testing her she knew and because of that she made damn well sure that he knew just how little effort it took her to match his speed. Even if it was just a façade.

"I voted against you kunoichi," Kisame threw back to her, "I thought we should torture you for the information but I was outvoted," he turned his head back to look at her so that she could see the dark amusement in his expression. "It was a narrow call though."

She cringed inwardly, wonderful, if she did get into the Akatsuki after this then it didn't appear that she would be too popular. Although she would be lying if she said that she didn't have her misgivings over actually getting in after they had Naruto, hopefully by then the need wouldn't be as great.

He was watching her again and this time he threw out conversationally, "Perhaps they'll let me kill you when all this is over," his eyes narrowed, "Perhaps you'll betray us."

She could feel herself begin to sweat beneath his gaze and although it only lasted a few seconds it was enough to make her tense. It came as a hollow sort of relief to watch him turn back only to narrowly avoid coming head to head with a tree branch.

"Perhaps you should watch where you're going more Kisame-san," she called out to him conversationally unable to fully suppress the tone of amusement in her voice.

The response to that was a kunai thrown carelessly back over his shoulder, one that she had to dodge to miss. He turned back to look at her once more, this time his expression dark.

"Haven't I told you to be careful kunoichi," his tone was soft, "They will do little to me if you died on this trip suddenly, your life isn't worth much."

She gulped inaudibly as he turned back, she didn't doubt him.

* * *

The trip to their hideout or whatever you could call it was relatively short, a day at a breakneck pace, perhaps a couple of days from where she had originated in Konoha perhaps a couple of weeks. They didn't care that she knew where it was and she realised that it didn't matter because she currently had no idea where she was. The trip had been twisted and overlapping and she had given up trying to map the route fairly early on.

It was fairly simple, a high wall surrounding a citadel of sorts with a fairly large yard filled with training equipment. She didn't see an entry but apparently this didn't matter as Kisame left her there with the gruff order to stay put and walked around one of the corners.

Several moments later the section of wall in front of her blurred before being removed completely and Kisame was back. Walking through the makeshift entranced he went straight through the door of the building. She followed him slightly more hesitantly. It wasn't that she didn't trust him… no actually it was that she didn't trust him.

She glanced back as she reached the entrance to the building, the gateway behind her was still open and she wondered if it was all right to leave it like that but dismissed the thought as she entered the building and crept along the long hallway. Doors lined each side and it broke off towards the end into a main kitchen area complete with table and chairs. Kisame sat at one of them, chewing on something from the plate in front of him.

"Hungry kunoichi?" he asked a feral grin settling upon his lips as she edged her way in.

If she said she was she was certain that he would laugh at her, however with the kitchen in sight the need for food was growing rather dramatically. Pride won out in the end and she shrugged at him, "Not at all."

Instead of provoking him as she had expected her actions caused him to laugh. "Your loss kunoichi."

The rustling of cloth behind her caused her to turn quickly, almost losing her balance in the process. Uchiha Itachi stood behind her, the wide brimmed hat gone exposing more of his face. He appraised her for a moment before moving past her to the kitchen and picking a piece of fruit out of the bowl.

"Prepare yourself something to eat kunoichi," he murmured putting the fruit to his lips, taking a bite, chewing and swallowing, "You're no good to us drained of chakra."

Any protests she was about to make dried up at his statement as she realised just how low her chakra levels had gotten in her effort to keep up with Kisame on the trip. Moving into the kitchen she hovered hesitantly, unsure of what she could use or not. Both members ignored her and she decided to throw caution to the wind and simply rummage through the cupboards until she found something she could make use of.

"After you eat kunoichi we will go through the terms of our agreement."

She nodded, but despite herself she couldn't help but allow a certain degree of fear to fill her at that statement.

* * *

AN: Ok well this has been in the process of being made for a very long time. It is slightly reminiscent of leafygirl's Loophole but then most of the ItaSaku fics coming out after hers have elements of her fic in them because it is safe to say that with ItaSaku leafygirl _is_ the master.

Thanks to Midnight Insanity for beta-ing.


	2. Agito

**Chapter Two: Agito**

_(To Set In Motion)_

Sometime between her cooking the small bit of rice and fish that she had found and serving it, the shark man had disappeared. She couldn't remember exactly when but as long as they needed her she was fairly certain that it didn't matter. She hoped. The Uchiha had come and gone in the duration of her cooking as well, but she'd noted his absences down to the exact second that he took to come back. Nervous? Her? Not at all.

Once she had finished the small meal she made her way back to the table. The Uchiha was reading through a scroll when she reached it, but his eyes focussed on her the instant she placed a bowl in front of him. An odd expression that she couldn't read crossed his face.

"You are not required to cook for us," he murmured, accepting the chopsticks that she passed him.

A smirk caught the edge of her lips. "Perhaps I've poisoned it. Uchiha-san."

His eyes caught her own calmly, "Have you?"

She didn't deign to answer that, picking instead at the food in front of her. Something about him unnerved her. If the Uchiha had been more like the picture painted for her then she was sure it wouldn't bother her. He was completely different to every expectation that she had entertained.

She took the longest possible amount of time that she could to eat the meagre meal. It wasn't hard. Although she was ravenous the food had little taste, and she had been expending too much effort at this point to keep her features blank to focus on her meal.

When she had finished eating uttering the normal prayer of thanks she glanced across at the Uchiha. Surprise flickered in the back of her mind and self-deprecation. His meal was finished all traces of food gone and his chopsticks sat steadily on top. What bothered her was that she hadn't noticed him doing it. It was an oversight that could cost her.

"We should discuss the terms of our agreement kunoichi."

"It seems pretty straightforward, Uchiha-san," she responded adding a slight edge of boredom to her tone, "I give you the whereabouts of the Kyuubi and you get me into the Akatsuki."

He nodded slightly but she could see that he didn't like her answer.

"So I'm to assume we're leaving tomorrow."

She started a little before glancing over to watch him carefully. He had caught her off guard and created a statement that she would have to negate. If he thought that she was lying to him she would lose her life and her only chance in the space of a second.

"No."

He almost seemed surprised. The air seemed to get heavier in an instant.

"There's things that need to be done first," she rushed on, "Tsunade won't take Nar… the kyuubi from the safe house until the end of the month."

She hated herself for having given in so quickly; masking her emotions in this situation was what she had been training for, to lose control now would make everything she'd done pointless.

"Three weeks then," he mused. He leant back suddenly and she hadn't realised how close he had been. "And you intend to simply lead us there?"

"Yes."

"If you wish to be Akatsuki Sakura-san you will be expected to fight your former comrades when we reach the village." The reminder was unwelcome.

Picking up the glass of water and taking a sip of it Sakura chose her next words. "I was under the impression that you and Kisame would be enough to handle the kyuubi Uchiha-san. I don't fight pointless battles."

He leant back in the chair, appraising her with very red eyes. "The matter is academic Sakura-san, in order to enter the Akatsuki you must prove that you are willing," he responded coolly, "You never did answer my question. Can you really betray Naruto-kun?"

Silently Sakura asked herself the same thing, because Naruto had always been something akin to a friend. Closing her eyes momentarily she answered. "I can do whatever I have to in order to gain power."

The eyes opened again and she could see that he was still watching her. Something flickered in his eyes. Curiosity perhaps? But was she couldn't tell and she didn't really want to be caught analysing it.

"Very well." He stood. "Until our departure Sakura-san you will remain here."

Sakura couldn't remember having told him her name.

"A room and bathroom will be supplied for you but they will be the only rooms that you are permitted to enter aside from here. You may help yourself to whatever you like from the kitchen. Kisame or I may be called away at times if both of us are away you will remain in the building. When we are here you will be permitted to go outside and train."

She swallowed the lump that had caught in her throat. "You're treating me like a prisoner Uchiha-san."

He shrugged nonchalantly. The act was very human. "Until you meet your end of the bargain Sakura-san you _are_ a prisoner."

She didn't argue with it. They would play the game his way, despite what she said. When she finally stood he had left the room. His dishes had been rinsed and set in the sink to be washed. Against her better judgement she wondered if he had done the same thing as a boy. It was an odd sort of thing to think about when you realised that he had killed the people who had taught him such skills.

Rinsing her own dishes and setting them against the sink she turned to leave the room. Three steps away she hesitated. Who actually did the dishes? The image of Kisame in a pink frilly apron came to mind and she fought back a smile.

Scowling at her own weakness she walked from the room. This was not the time for her to be giving in to emotion. Stone, she reminded herself. I am stone.

Doors littered the either side of the corridor and she briefly wondered which of them was hers. It was answered when she came close enough to notice that two of the doors, adjacent to each other were open. Glancing in she found a bedroom and a bathroom respectively. She couldn't help but wonder what the other rooms contained.

Entering the bedroom first she dropped her pack on the floor and rummaged through it for some clean clothing. Glancing down at herself she grimaced at the dirt and muck stuck to her body.

Taking the clean clothes with her into the bathroom she set them against the side. Closing the door she undressed. The bathroom was traditional, a side area with a wooden stool, tap and bucket and a large wooden tub set in the centre. Turning the taps on for that first she then crossed over to the stool and began to wash herself thoroughly.

Twenty minutes later when the bath was almost full and she finally felt clean Sakura entered it, emitting a small sigh as the water soothed the aches in her muscles. She hadn't realised that so much ached. As a medic she was accustomed to mentally storing away pain until a time when she could deal with it. On missions it often meant the difference between the amounts of people she saved. The drawback to it was that the pain from whatever injuries she had incurred would build up while it was sealed.

Testing the mental block with hesitancy she let it go slowly. It was the one thing Tsunade had always lectured her on. Medics who lost it too quickly could kill themselves from the shock of pain. Without enough chakra to categorise and heal the most urgent of her injuries she had no way of knowing exactly what sort of damage she had done.

She could guess.

When Sakura eventually got out of the bath she was met with the groggy feeling that she had drifted off several times. Without any indication of how long she'd been in there except the wrinkled skin of her fingers she dried off and dressed.

Leaving the towel on the floor when she was finished, because she didn't know what to do with it and no longer cared, Sakura managed the small distance from the bathroom to her room without collapsing.

It was late evening already, if the sky was any indication and she was more than exhausted so without another thought about the situation she had gotten herself into Sakura fell asleep.

* * *

It was late when she woke the next day. Later than she had hoped it would be. Light streamed in through a window set to the left of her bed and she had a vague idea that it was what had woken her.

The first thing she did was to test her chakra supplies. Finding them replenished she slowly healed the worst of the damage to her body. Her stomach growled in silent anger as she worked and when she was finished she stood. She didn't change, she was already wearing clothing – albeit slightly wrinkled clothing, instead she made her way to the kitchen in search of something to eat.

Kisame was already there. Eating something that smelt distinctly of fish. Giving him a quick glance she made her way to the fruit bowl and picked out a plum.

For the most part she had assumed that her actions had gone unnoticed by the large shark looking creature. It was proven wrong when he turned around and offered her a grin. Sakura shuddered. The large very toothy smile did little to inspire feelings of ease.

"Itachi's gone for a few days. So it'll be just you and _me_ kunoichi."

Mentally smoothing back any feelings she felt she presented him with a blank bored look. "Am I supposed to be afraid of that?"

The grin widened. It startled her. She'd expected him to get angry.

"Careful kunoichi," he chided in a rough glee filled voice. "Don't forget. You're expendable."

Funny, she would have thought the same of him. Presenting him with a slow lazy smile she replied, "Really? Then why aren't you attacking me Kisame-san?"

His face darkened and he stepped towards her, pushing her into the back of the counter until she was sure that he would reach out and hit her. He stopped inches in front of her. Amusement had returned to his features. "When this is over kunoichi, you'll be dead." He breathed out, so close that she could smell the fish scent of whatever he had been eating on his breath. "And if I'm lucky they'll let me be the one to kill you."

He pulled away chuckling and walked back down the corridor she had come from, disappearing into one of the rooms. Watching until she was sure she couldn't see him anymore Sakura let herself drop to the ground. It felt as if the air had been knocked from her lungs.

For the first time she didn't doubt that he planned to kill her. Even as that revelation came she was just as aware of the fact that they would let him. A bitter taste filled her mouth. The offer wasn't enough anymore. If she wanted to keep her life she would need to prove invaluable to them.

A smile caught her lips. But then, she had expected that hadn't she.

* * *

Itachi will return in the next chapter.

Wow I honestly didn't mean to leave this update for so long. I wish I could say that I had a booming social life to attend to which has kept me out of it at all hours and forced me to stop writing but unfortunately my social life (as well as my writing) has given way to the demands of school. The next update if I'm lucky shouldn't be too long in coming.

Maya, who is a greedy bugger that has already had a story and a character dedicated to her, wishes to be acknowledged for pointing out a fragment error in one of my sentences.

Ciao

**EDIT-** Fixed an error with the paragraphs...


	3. Praeceptor

Soundtrack: What Goes Around Comes Around – Justin Timberlake

**Chapter Three – **Praeceptor 

(_Teacher)_

A steady thudding was the first sound to meet her ears as Sakura woke the next morning. Sitting, Sakura worked on slowing her breathing, attempting to control her heartbeat until its scattered rhythm became strong and steady once more. When the last traces of the haunting dream had dissipated she analysed the sounds outside with faint interest. A faint was occurring. Weapons, grunts and a splitting sound she assumed to be one of the trees cracked permeated the isolated area.

The echo of a smile touched her lips. Perhaps Kisame had found someone else to relieve his boredom through. Standing she worked on stretching out the muscles that had been pushed past their limit in her pursuit of the two Akatsuki. As she worked, healing tears in muscles she'd left the previous night, she observed every part of the room, searching unobtrusively out of habit.

Her second night here and the wards she'd placed around the room to warn her of anothers presence were as untouched as they had been since she placed them. They were a moot point of course; she hardly expected a handful of wards to trap the famous Akatsuki, but they were trigger fine, noting any other person's presence in the room, the fact that neither had come to check on her unnerved her.

It meant one of two things, they either trusted her not to betray them, or they believed that she was so little a threat that it hardly mattered what she did. She knew which one was more likely, and she didn't like it.

Finally with a dissatisfied sigh she leant over and reached for the bag containing her belongings, pulling free black skin-tight pants and an equally tight black tank top and mesh over-shirt.

Tightening her leaf headband she exited the room. She had meant to go directly to the kitchen and to avoid the shark man who seemed to take a fair amount of enjoyment from her suffering. Despite that she found herself drawn the entrance leading outside.

Kisame was training with his back to her, the large sword he carried constantly buried hilt deep in a tree while he practiced his unarmed combat. Against her better nature she watched, analysing each of the movements as he made them. She was aware that Kisame wouldn't take to kindly to her spying on him if he caught her however she hovered for a few long moments, watching the slow controlled strokes as he performed a dance of some sort.

Finishing he reached for his sword in the tree trunk, pulling it out slowly and calling out in his grating voice, "Pick up that katana kunoichi, lets see if you're any good."

Fighting back her initial shock Sakura glanced across her surroundings searching for the sword he spoke of. She found it, lying at the top of one of the many training racks, sleek and black. Walking towards it she picked it up with noticeable admiration. It was an amazing piece of work; she'd never seen a katana of this quality before. Hefting the weight into her hands she frowned.

"Something wrong?"

Refusing to jump at the question directed to her from a scant metre away Sakura responded slowly, "It's almost weightless."

"Meant to be." Kisame grunted although she sensed a trace of humour in his voice as well.

Turning back to face him Sakura was met with his blade, close enough that it grazed her ear as she dodged it.

Swinging the katana up to block his next attack she was confused when he stopped. "You ever used that thing before kunoichi?"

"I've had basic training," she responded defensively, "It's not my primary method of fighting if that's what you mean."

He scowled, "Your teacher sucked."

Slowly he went through the basic blocks, making her repeat them again and again until her arms ached.

When he felt satisfied with that he taught her a basic strike.

He worked her past lunch, well into the afternoon, grunting out orders here and there. Sakura had the distinct feeling that he enjoyed watching her slip up so that he could criticise her for it. He also appeared to like giving orders. She stored this information away for later perusal, her focus more on completing the tasks that he set her.

When they finally pulled away for a break Sakura was beyond tired, exhaustion stirred at the edges of her awareness and she was irate for having wasted chakra to mend muscles earlier which could have easily healed on their own.

Sakura was so engrossed in her train of thought that she didn't notice Kisame come to stand in front of her. When the ground shifted as he sat down and her attention immediately snapped to him he laughed.

"Careful kunoichi, you keep ignoring what's going on around you and you'll get yourself killed." Kisame drawled lazily.

Leaning across with a feral grin he murmured slowly, "And I would hate for someone to kill you before I can."

Sakura stiffened minutely before easing her face into a smile. Despite Kisame's proximity to her she refused to move back.

"Why are you teaching me how to use it properly then?" she queried, a raised eyebrow showing him that she could care less.

He smiled, the action reminding her of an actual shark, all of his sharp teeth showing. "When I finally get the chance to kill you I want to at least be able to have a little fun."

Half expecting an answer like that she leant back against the tree Kisame had plunged his sword into earlier. Relaxing noticeably just to piss him off.

"I've been wondering Kisame. Have you ever defeated Itachi?"

She'd expected the question to ruffle a few feathers, perhaps send Kisame off in a rage and then cause him to challenge her to fight again. What she got was a calculating glance and a question in return.

"Why do you want to know?"

Leaning her chin on her hand Sakura contemplated the answer, choosing her words very carefully. "Because everything I've heard of Itachi has written him out to be an unbeatable opponent. A person even his allies cannot match up to."

Watching Kisame's reaction closely Sakura was surprised to find him grin.

"If you can defeat me in a fight using that katana I'll give you the answer."

She pursed her lips in consideration. "If I lose?"

He laughed, "You can have as many tries as you like kunoichi. I need something to relieve my boredom."

Still laughing he got to his feet and cast her an appraising look. "Well, lets see if you retained anything kunoichi."

Pulling herself up Sakura picked up the katana and returned to her proper formation.

Kisame lunged without warning and she withdrew, over-swinging the sword to block Kisame's attack she barely saved herself from being shredded with the huge object. The effect however left her off balance and without enough time to move away from his next attack. Puling herself away from the swords swing as it grazed her shoulder she pulled back, watching him steadily.

Retaining that safe distance she tried to recreate the way she was supposed to be fighting in her mind. The swords she had used in the past were all much heavier; the weight of this sword was equal to that of a dagger. None of her training had prepared her for something like this. When she considered the weight she forgot the length of the sword and when she considered the length she over-swung her movements.

Evidently she had been thinking long enough as Kisame disappeared from sight and struck her from behind even as she moved to dodge.

Pain rushed through the arm he had impacted against and the feel of shattered bone controlled her concentration. Kisame didn't give her room to readjust to this new burden moving faster than she had thought him capable of he brought the sword down, hitting the area behind her as she instinctively ducked.

Looking up and finding him gone she swore. Ignoring the throbbing sensation in her arm she listened carefully, searching for the sounds of breathing or fabric moving in the wind.

His hand was around her throat before she could comprehend the movement, her eyes watering as her airflow was restricted. Launching a leg out behind her she gave a satisfied smile as it impacted and she was released, listening to the dull thump as Kisame impacted with the tree.

She turned to watch him, pushing back the feeling of gasping air in and taking calm measured breaths instead.

He sat up slowly, chuckling. "Clever kunoichi. We'll call this one a draw. I have something to take care of so go back inside."

Nodding as her breathing became easier she stood walking back towards the opening and retracing her steps from earlier until she reached her room.

The fight had gone better than she could have hoped. There was a reason why Kisame was formerly one of Mists seven swordsmen. Moving in and closing the door she sat on the bed. Very slowly Sakura smiled adding the new information to her memory banks.

* * *

When Sakura had finished changing around the information she wandered back towards her door pulling fresh clothes from her bag with the intention of a bath and fresh clothes.

Leaving the bathroom she nearly ran into Itachi, glancing over him she wondered where exactly he'd been during her little training session with Kisame and why Kisame's expectation of a few days had shortened.

His own eyes travelled across her lithe frame stopping momentarily on her arm before rising to her eyes.

"You've been fighting with Kisame?" he posed it as a question but his tone suggested that he already knew.

She suppressed a shiver at his voice, like dark silk with an even tone. It was a voice that never succumbed to useless endeavours such as shouting.

"Kisame and I chose to entertain each other." She replied with the trace of a smile.

Blank eyes assessed her arm steadily before returning to her face.

"Your deal will not be revoked because Kisame has rendered your arm useless."

Although his tone was light the warning sounded somewhat ominous. Steeling her face into an equally blank stare Sakura look back at him. "The thought hadn't crossed my mind Itachi. I forgot to heal it, rest assured Itachi-kun the bone will be reassembled after my bath so there should be nothing to delay our plans."

He watched her for another moment as she stood there begging her body not to sweat out her anxiousness and her heartbeat to remain steady.

"You must be a relatively good healer to cure a shattered bone in that amount of time."

She shrugged. "I was a healer-nin in my previous life. If you'll excuse me Itachi-kun, I'd very much like to clean up."

He moved back politely as she stepped past him into the bathroom. Sakura shut the door slowly behind her before she allowed herself to sink to the floor, breathing carefully.

It had been years since anything had bothered her but Sakura found that just being in the Uchiha's presence unnerved her.

_He's too similar._ She thought her mind returning to the picture of his face imprinted there. _Shape up or ship out! _She berated herself angrily. _You wanted this._ Sakura drew herself a bath relaxing into it gradually. The body has two responses when it feels threatened, fight or flight, hers was finding it hard to ignore both of these responses and maintain its neutrality.

* * *

AD: Ok so I'm really not sure if I love the way this chapter turned out. But I've spent too much time trying to get it out and it's really not fair to the reviewers anymore. Yes, I know it's been ages. Please don't lecture me about it, a lot has happened in my life in that time that took priority. I will try my hardest to keep chapters coming more regularly though. 


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